The Stellar Wave Chronicles: Previews
by Rosamanelle
Summary: The previews to my massive project: The Stellar Wave Chronicles (TSWC). Formerly known as Day of Black: Twisted Thorns. A collectivized story of one shot previews to TSWC project. Nine heroes. A disturbance in not only the El, but in the Stellar Wave. Where did these heroes come from, though? *Note: Any OCs used belong to me. No using without permission. Thanks! - Rosamanelle
1. Twisted Thorns

**Day of Black: Twisted Thorns**

_**Preview One of the Stellar Wave Chronicles**_

* * *

Run. Whatever you do, run. I kept telling myself to run, my lungs burning from lack of oxygen. Behind me, the figures loomed eerily in the unnatural red and orange light of flames. Cold, sharp laughter assaulted my ears, followed by blood-curdling screams. The screams of people. _My_ people. The entire village was alight, and I kept telling myself to run. They could not catch me, no matter what. If I was caught, it was all over. After all, I was the one carrying on their hope. The one who held their dreams. The one who was helpless to the attack. Ash filled the air, its smoky odor burning my nostrils. Coughing, I bent over slightly, before straightening up to run again. A bright spray of cochineal mist erupted from my right, a pool of ruby-colored blood wound its way to my feet, staining my gray boots red. Harsh voices sounded behind me, yelling for me to stop, that they only wanted to 'play,' that they wouldn't hurt me. I didn't hear them, and ran. A cold dagger stuck my shoulder, momentarily blinding me with pain. Releasing a shriek, I dashed forwards with renewed strength, and before I knew it, I was flying through the air. Or more like crashing to the ground. Twisting around, I saw a cliff, the very cliff I had run off of, so careless in my panic, my attempt to flee. Vermillion light stained the sky, great spouts of flames lighting the sky in a dastardly, dangerous display. I felt myself falling, and I closed my eyes, awaiting the death that was sure to befall me. "I'm sorry... Mother... Father... I will be joining you soon..."

My name is Rosalynne. And on that fateful day, my world ended.

* * *

Waking up to hazy visions and muffled noises, anyone would've freaked out. But I didn't. I had seen too much, heard too much, _felt_ too much. I would rather die than experience everything again. "Just kills me already..." I whispered, my voice hoarse and croaking. A much lighter voice chuckled. "What're you talking about, silly? You just fell from a 50-foot cliff with a serrated blade lodged into your shoulder. If you could survive all that, there's no way we'd kill ya." My vision slowly corrected itself, and a woman with shoulder length black hair, tan skin, and bright blue eyes suddenly came into focus. She held out her hand. "My name's Lenora, but everyone calls me Leo. What's your name, dear?" I blinked. "Where am I?" Lenora sighed. "Pushy, are we? I'll tell you." Walking over to a window - wait, window? I thought I was outside! - Lenora opened the blinds, letting light spill into the room. Looking around, I saw cream-colored walls, dark wooden floors, and ashy looking wooden furniture. Almost like home. Lenora cleared her throat, holding her hands out wide. "Welcome to Silver Pearl." It took a minute for me to register what she said, my brain still foggy from my fall. "S-Silver Pearl...?" Lenora nodded. "Yup." I shuddered. "You mean _the_ Silver Pearl, elite guild of thieves? Members in both continents within the super-continent of Elrios? Known for stealing thousands of riches without being noticed?" Lenora nodded. "That's us. Oh, but dear, the spot on your shoulder where you go hit by the knife? It's gonna scar." I barely heard her, my head was spinning and my heart was racing a thousand miles an hour. Of all the people who had to find me, it had to be a guild of thieves! I took a deep breath, ignoring Lenora and her incessant chatter. Looking up, I stared Lenora deep in the eye. "Lenora, what happened to my village?" Lenora tilted her head. "What village? We were lucky to get you out of there, girlie. A volcano had just erupted, and you wouldn't have made it if we didn't come." I felt my heart clench. "Are you sure?" Lenora nodded. "A hundred percent, girlie. Now, what's your name?" "..."

I winced as I stood up. "Is there a mirror anywhere?" Lenora nodded, motioning towards a door. "That's the washroom. Why, girlie? You shouldn't be walking around, you're still too injured. If you want to go to the washroom, I'll help you..." Straightening up, I sent Lenora a blank look. "I don't need your pity." Walking over to the washroom, I opened the door and peered into the battered up piece of reflective material they called a mirror. A girl with flaming red hair tied and twisted into a bun at the side of her head, slightly off-center, and golden eyes stared back at me. Her skin was pale, unnaturally pale, and her eyes looked hollow, almost lifeless. Slapping my cheeks lightly, I nodded with satisfaction as a spark of life flew into my eyes, my cheeks becoming a little less pale from the reddish imprints I left. Eyes wandering, I snatched up a razor blade that someone had left carelessly on the table. Lenora squeaked. "Oi, girlie! Don't do anything stupid!" With a deft flick of my wrist, I cut the bindings that held up my hair, shaking it out, letting the flame colored locks spill over my shoulders and down my back. Placing the blade down, I turned to Lenora, my hands on my hips defiantly. "I'm not 'girlie,' Lenora. I _do_ have a name, y'know." Lenora smirked. "Really, girlie? 'Cause you never told me." I sent her a cold glare, satisfied with the shivers that ran down her spine. "My name is Rosalynne. But you can call me Rosa."

* * *

Over the next few days, I spent most of my time recovering. Soon, I was able to walk by myself, and shortly after that, I was deemed in perfect condition. At the moment, I was seated at a table, listening to a heated discussion about what to do with something Silver Pearl clearly didn't want; me. "We can't just leave her out there by herself! You heard the poor girl, she doesn't have any family!" A tall man with brown hair streaked with silver and crisp gray eyes sighed. "Lenora, I understand you feel strongly about her safety, as you were her caretaker during her stay with us. However, we cannot allow some _girl_ to run rampant among us without any training, and at her age, it will be impossible! I say that we should return her to where we found her, and let her be!" Lenora rolled her eyes. "Darius, you unfeeling bastard! Although you are the head of Silver Pearl, letting this girl out on her own is much more dangerous! Anyone could track her down and have her lead them to us, and worse, they could kill her!" I stood up, shouting vehemently. "LISTEN UP, EVERYONE!" I felt all eyes on me, and I swallowed a sigh. "What do you take me for, a ghost?! I am _right here_, and can understand every single word you say. If you're going to discuss my fate, at least do it where I can't hear!" Lenora stood up, her eyes pleading. "Lynne, I'm trying to stop them from forcing you to leave. Honestly, I'm trying!" Only Lenora called me Lynne. Who knows why, but she just did. Darius rubbed his temples. "We would take her in if she had any skills, which she does not." That caused rage to bubble up in me. It burned just as brightly as the fire that burned down my village, as black as the bandits that slew everyone in their path. Quicker than I ever thought I could move, I leapt across the table, grabbed a bow and an arrow that belonged to Lenora, nocked the arrow, and fired it at a hanging target that was hanging on the other end of the room. It hit the bulls-eye with a satisfying thud. Darius, Lenora, and everyone else in the room gaped at me with a mix of astonishment and fear. Lowering the bow, I glowered. "Do you know who I am?" Darius frowned, his mouth forming a thin line. "You're some brat that we saved from a volcano." I shook my head. "No." My voice was calm and cool, and I imagined that I looked very collected and serene. "I am not 'some brat.' I am Rosalynne, the only survivor from Belasmist village, the last human to be trained by Elven warriors in the way of archery. And I would shut up if I were you, because an arrow travels much, much faster than a blade does." Darius scowled. "Lenora. See to it that you train this girl. If, however, she fails to complete her training in any way, mark my words, she will leave Silver Pearl." Lenora nodded, and I glared at him. "I'll see to it that I don't."

My training started only a few hours later. I was outfitted with a handsome bow made of ebony wood, a pinkish long-sleeved shirt with chain mail underneath, a gray skirt, black leggings, white knee-high boots, and a red overcoat with golden gear patterns on it, more chain mail hidden underneath it. "The less armor you have, the less suspicious you look, and the faster you can move," Lenora had explained when I asked her about the lack of armor. I tugged at my one keepsake, a small, oval-shaped red bead with preserved flower in it that hung on a thick, black cord. It was a memory of my mother, something her great-great-grandmother had made when she was young, and was passed on to her daughter, and then her daughter's daughter, and so on and so forth until it reached me. It was also coincidentally my family's crest. Lenora had set up several human shaped targets, and was yelling at me about something. I think it was where to aim? And there was definitely something about stones. Did she say ostrich or dead? I couldn't tell. Suddenly, a machine whirred to life bear me, and I suddenly understood. Aim to kill the targets while avoiding stones that were going to be pelted at me. As the machine began to move towards me, razor-sharp blades rotating around into a deadly fan, I gulped. Scratch that. Kill the targets, avoid rocks flying at me, _and_ destroy the evil-looking machines that were coming STRAIGHT TOWARDS ME. What do they think I am, freaking Superwoman? Leaping to the side, I rolled onto one knee, firing an arrow at the standing target, leaping out of the way to avoid a stone. Twisting through the air to avoid the flying projectiles, I fired more arrows, each one aimed at the small targets attached to the tips of the blades the robot - no, robots - were swinging around. Landing, I slid under the first robot, releasing an arrow that hit a small target in the robot's armor, causing it to freeze up and collapse. On one knee, I fired another arrow at a standing target, then swung my bow around to knock a rock out of the sky, before leaping into action again. Panting, glistening with sweat, and exhausted, I nocked my final arrow and sent it into the last robot. The arrow plunged deep into the target, and the robot stiffened, finally collapsing like the others.

Lenora stopped a pocket watch, making a face. "Lynne, your time was five minutes and forty-two seconds. You took too long." I sighed, exasperated. "Lenora, what in the name of El are you talking about? Five minutes and forty-two seconds is GREAT for a first attempt." She shrugged. "Most people get around four minutes when they try this for the first time, Lynne. Time to do better." She extended her hand, which I batted away, standing up on my own. "Time for your hand-to-hand combat lessons~!" I groaned. Today was going to be a long, long day.

* * *

A year later, I had become a fine archer, one that Silver Pearl could be proud of. For my seventeenth birthday, Lenora had gone through the trouble of getting me a fairly elaborate hairpin, finely crafted emerald leaves holding golden chains that dropped down, holding dark pearls, several pink loops at the top, a ruby red rose seated in the center, looking so life like that anyone would've guessed that it was real. I shook my long, foxy red hair out of my face, the white pearls in my ears glittering. It was a tradition in Silver Pearl to get your ears pierced after becoming an approved member, a certain type of earring given out depending on your rank within the guild. Regular members and rookies got dark pearls, administrators and officers got silver pearls, and elite members got white pearls, while the guild master got golden pearls. It was a lovely day, a beautiful sunset painting the sky in shades of crimson, tangerine, rose, amber, and lilac. Staring out into the sky, I thought of everything that had happened in the past year, including my discovery that everything that Silver Pearl stole went to the poor. As I sat, entranced in my thoughts, I realized with a start that tomorrow, after I pledged loyalty to Darius, I would be an official member of Silver Pearl. Was I ready to be tied down to them? Branded as a thief, someone who only looked after myself? I shivered. No one wanted to be a thief, but everyone in Silver Pearl was my only family. There was no way I could leave them. A voice behind me shouted. "Elsa?!" I was soon crushed under a boy with tanned skin, crimson hair, and even darker crimson eyes. "Wha-? Who're you?" The boy looked up, clearly surprised. "You're not Elsa..." I laughed. "Nope, sorry kid. Are you looking for this Elsa?" The boy nodded. "She's my sister. The strongest of all the Red Knights!" Now that surprised me. So this kid was the sister of the famed Elsa Scarletheart, huh? I smiled. "You shouldn't trust everyone you meet so easily, kid." The boy grinned mischievously. "The name's Elsword, _kid_. And I can trust you. You have that air of... of dignity about you. I don't think you'd want to hurt even a fly." Shocked, I stared at Elsword. Me? Dignified? No, that couldn't be, I was going to be a thief.

A voice rang out. "Elsword? It's not Elsa, is it?" Turning around, I saw a group of people behind us. A girl with a staff, two purple pigtails, and violet eyes. An elf with long, blonde hair and emerald green eyes, a bow in one hand. A man with a mechanical arm, black hair, golden eyes, and a scarred face, but looked somewhat similar to Lenora. A Nasod girl with silver hair, a blue emblem on her forehead and expressionless golden eyes, two drones, one white, the other black, hovering beside her. A boy with white and cerulean armor, soft blonde hair with two longer parts with darker tips that resembled ears, and a massive blue and white cannon. The elf spoke again. "I'm so sorry, Miss..." I grinned. "I'm Rosalynne. You can call me Rosa. Are you all going somewhere?" The purple-haired magician nodded. "There's been a disturbance in the flow of the El. Not only that, but Sasha told us the Stellar Wave has been touched." My eyes widened. The Stellar Wave had been touched?! That was dangerous for everyone. Before I realized what I was saying, I blurted out what I truly wanted to say. "Take me with you!" Elsword blinked. "Rosa...lynne...?" I sighed, leaning back. "If I don't go with your group, I'll be forced into something that I truly don't want to do. I'm grateful for those who helped me, but I can't follow their path. I can't. So please, let me come. I won't be a burden at all..." The boy with the ears laughed. "Miss Rosalynne, there's nothing to worry about. Of course you can come with us." Elsword grinned. "Welcome to the Elgang, Rosa."

This is where my adventure began. But in truth, this adventure started long, long ago.

* * *

Me: And done! So, how do you like my preview to the next series I'm starting?

Rena: It sounds really cool. Is this your next major series?

Me: Yup~ This series, The Stellar Wave Chronicles, will have four main arcs: Days of Black, 28 Days of Bodies, Slaughter House Ghosts, and Power Oblivion.

Raven: That's a lot of writing to do...

Me: I'm not done with the previews yet! I'm going to write a sort of back story for each main character in the Stellar Wave Chronicles series, and each back story is a new preview!

Aisha: How many mains are there?

Me: 9.

Elsword: WHOA THERE! Do you even have the time to write all this, plus your other stories?

Me: Eh, I'll make time. Plus, summer's coming up soon XD

Chung: Everyone, make sure you vote on Rosa's poll for which pairing will be in her one shot!

Eve: According to my databases, Rosa's already gotten over half of the actual story written, she just needs to insert names.

Ara: You have until the 25th, voters!

Me: I better not die while writing this project... :D But I'm excited! I have lots of ideas!

Rena: How long will each story in the series be?

Me: Not telling.

Chung: Make sure you R&R, people!

Raven: Please support Rosamanelle during her upcoming, insanely huge project.

Me: Love y'all! Chu~


	2. Dragon Born

**Day of Black: Dragon Born**

**_Preview Two of the Stellar Wave Chronicles_**

* * *

"It was a shame, such a lovely girl had to become a knight."

**SMACK!**

And that was the end of people telling Elsa to be a 'proper' lady. I sighed, toying with my red hair, watching - with slight amusement, mind you - the poor soul who told Elsa that it was a shame she became a knight being chased around by Elsa, a sword bigger than me in one hand, which she was swinging with ease. Extreme ease. Enough ease to make me think that Elsa was the strongest warrior in all of Rurensia - no, in all of Elrios! Of course, I was naïve. I understand that well enough. Even though I'm young, I'm fairly smart. Smart enough to know that I'm naïve, that I have no clue of what's out there. Heck, my teacher said that if I tried, I'd have enough skill to become a mage. I don't want to be a mage, though. I hate the looks that the others give me, the brats who're jealous that I can count higher than them, or have the potential to be a mage. So I pretend I'm stupid. It's slightly better, with people giving me either pitying looks or looks full of laughter, rather than death glares or looks of longing. Looking down at my petty wooden sword, I sighed. Elsa was trying to teach me swordsmanship, and frankly, I found it easy. I wanted more of a challenge, something to keep me busy. Because of that, I snuck into Anne's store and found a book on magic, and tried one of the spells. Honestly, it was stupid, so I left it alone. Who'd waste mana on something stupid like creating a light, when you could pick up a damn match and light that, or create light just as easily with a few sticks. It was stupid, honestly. I think it was around now that I began to loathe mages for their inability to do anything by themselves. To me, mages were stuck up and snotty because they could use magic, were weak as hell, and normally used a whole bunch of big, fancy words that they either didn't know the meaning of or could've been easily been summed up in one more, simpler word. My previous meetings with mages never went well, either. Shaking my head, I brought myself back out of my reminiscing. "Elsa-nee-san! Don't kill him, teach me more swordsmanship stuff!" I was feeling nice, so I decided to spare the poor guy. Elsa nodded, flipping her scarlet braid over her shoulder. "Sure, Els." She turned back to the trembling man. "I don't to see your disgusting face again. Got it?" The man nodded feverishly, scrambling out of Elsa's reach - and the reach of her sword. She turned to me, smiling. "Let's go, Els~"

That was how I found myself attacking straw dummies. Lots of them. I shredded them to pieces easily with the blunt training sword I was given, while answering the questions Elsa flung at me. "What five things must a swordsman have?" "Power, accuracy, speed, control, and courage!" "What must a swordsman be?" "Courteous, brave, wise, and selfless!" "Who does a swordsman serve?" "His people!" It went on and on. Stabbing a dummy in the gut, I brandished my sword again, watching the straw guts spill out as I sliced it in half. "Too slow, Elsword! Pick it up!" Rolling my eyes, I began to slash wildly, only to have Elsa kick me in the back. "Where did your accuracy and control go?! If you're going to be quick, you still must be precise!" Villagers walking by began to whisper. "Dear El, Elsa's back at it again. Her poor brother... He's only eight..." Another one nodded in agreement. "One day, she's going to have him killed by overworking him. I don't care if she's the strongest of the Red Knights, this has gone overboard!" Rage began to well up in me. Slashing at the dummies with renewed strength, I began to shout out desperately to the passing villagers. How dare they look down on me?! "I will become strong!" Panting, I turned to slice another dummy cleanly in half. "I will continue, since I asked for this level of training!" Gritting my teeth, I heard the whispers only get louder and louder. "How dare they criticize Elsa-nee-san like that?!" More whispers. I hated them. Elsa's voice rang out quietly from somewhere beside me. "Elsword. What does it mean to be a swordsman and a knight?" Slicing through the last dummy triumphantly, I turned to face her. "It means that we carry power, power that should not be used for evil, but for good. A power used to save people and help them, not to hurt." Elsa nodded, smiling brightly. She ruffled my hair, despite knowing that I hated it. "Good job, little brother. You've made me proud. We left the field, leaving behind destroyed dummies and banged up wooden poles for the owner of the training field to clean up.

* * *

At school the next day - or what we called school, it was really just a small wooden cabin that had a few books and stuff in it, and any passerby who felt like sharing knowledge with us taught us what they could, otherwise it was either Anne or the lady who lived down the street, Bertha, teaching us. (Personally, I preferred it when Anne taught us, because she was a lot friendlier, but most of the time she was busy with her shop, so it was mostly Bertha who taught us) - I was bombarded with questions about the training Elsa gave me, and about how badly she treated me. I answered all of them with a glare, and sat down in a window seat. When the teacher came in, I turned, expecting to see Bertha, or maybe even Anne, but instead, I saw a girl who couldn't have been any older than Elsa. Her pale blue hair was softly curled, a blue and dusty red hood pulled up over her hair. The girl's face seemed tired, her blue eyes unfocused, like she was seeing some far-off future. Clad in a long dusty red skirt with wide swathes of blue, she definitely stuck out like a sore thumb. She blinked, smiling softly. "My name is Sasha... You are Elsword, no?" Sasha's attention was fully diverted to me by now, ignoring the others. Strangely enough, they didn't even bat an eyelash. Literally. It was like they were rooted to the spot. "You.. You're a mage of some sort, aren't you?" Sasha giggled quietly. "Smart boy. However, I'm not 'just' a mage. But that's not the point. Elsword... Do you know what the El is?" I nodded. "It is a crystal that projects the light, and carries all forms of life within it, the ultimate power source that combats the dark. Right?" Sasha smiled. "You're partially correct. The El is indeed a crystal, however it does not project the light, nor does it carry all forms of life. It is also not the ultimate power source. Do you understand?" I narrowed my eyes. "You're suggesting that there's something more powerful than the El out there." Sasha blinked. "I'm not suggesting anything, Elsword... I know for a fact that there is something more powerful. The El, Elsword, is only a crystal. However, when a crystal is held up to light, it sparkles, and amplifies that light. That is what the El does, it acts as an amplifier of light, and light only, which is why it combats darkness. The ultimate power source, however... If I tell you, you must remain silent about it. Knowing this can put your life at risk, which is why students are not taught this." I nodded. "I'm ready to learn." Sasha smiled. "It is called the Stellar Wave."

After Sasha had finished explaining what the Stellar Wave was to me, she put a finger to her lips. "Remember, never show that you know about any of this. It is dangerous, and many villages have been destroyed because of it. I'm afraid that there is already a great list of villages that will be destroyed because of this knowledge. Elsword, promise me you will never reveal this information to anyone." I nodded. "I promise, on my knight's honor, regardless of whether I'm an actually knight or not, that I will _never_ tell anyone this information." Sasha nodded. "Good. Now, I have a class to teach." Smiling, she walked back up to the front of the class, and clasped her hands together. Everyone in the room suddenly unfroze, and stared at Sasha with interest. "Hello, everyone... My name is Sasha..."

* * *

I sat on a bench, cleaning the training sword Elsa gave me for my ninth birthday. I grinned when I heard footsteps, looking up to see the grim-looking face of Elsa. "Nee-san? What's wrong?" She sighed, sitting down on the seat beside me. "I have to go on a mission." "Oh." "An important one." "Oh." She looked me firmly in the eye. "Elsword, this mission will take at least a month to complete." I blinked in surprise. "WHAT?!" Elsa grinned and ruffled my hair. "No worries, I won't die on you. Or on anyone, for that matter. It's just a little further away then I'm used to, that's all." I nodded. "When do you leave?" Elsa grimaced. "Tonight." "Oh... WAIT WHAT?!" Elsa sighed. "I know that it's on very short notice-" "No duh." "As I was saying, I know that it's on very short notice, but hey, I'll be back soon, okay, kiddo?" I nodded, but in my gut, I knew something bad would happen. The last words that Sasha had said to me echoed through my mind.

_"Oh, and Elsword?" I turned to look at her. "What is it, Sasha?" She smiled sadly. "I have foreseen that your sister... Will be gone for a long time... Longer than expected. And when you do find her, it will be too late..." I frowned. "Too late for what?" Sasha sighed lightly. "That I do not know. However, do be careful, alright?"_

It was the last time I saw Elsa in the next four years. In that time, I had joined the Red Knights, using my previous training and connection to Elsa to convince them to let me join early. Quitting school, I devoted myself to swordsmanship for the next four years, hoping for Elsa to come back. Sasha was right. She didn't come back. People began to make fun of me for not having Elsa with me, for not being as strong as her. Soon, I began to develop an inferiority complex around Elsa, and vowed to become stronger than her. The year that I turned thirteen, Sasha returned, looking the same, her eyes still unfocused, her hair still slightly curly. The first person she went to was me. "Elsword... Elsa is gone, isn't she?" I grimaced. "Yeah." Looking at me with her unfocused cerulean eyes, she sighed. "Elsword." The world around us froze, and I realized Sasha was using her weird time magic again. "Someone... or something... has disturbed the El." My eyes widened. "The El has been disturbed?! But you said that it needed to be-" Putting her finger to my lips, Sasha continued. "That is not all, Elsword. The Stellar Wave has been touched." I gawked. "WHAT?! But... how... I mean..." Sasha sighed. "Even with my powers as the Water Priestess and an Oracle of Time, I myself have no clue how the Stellar Wave was touched. What I do know is that it is very dangerous, and that you and eight others must go and save Elrios." I blinked. "Why me...?" Sasha closed her eyes, and began to recite something.

"_When Elrios is in danger, threatened by the very stars themselves, nine great heroes must arise._

_One from each great kingdom, someone pure of heart and strong of will._

_One from the fire, one from the wind, one from the water, one from the earth, one from the thunder, one from the trees, one from the light, one from the dark, and one from the stars._

_When the nine unite, the stars will fight back with four great trials. Only when the heroes can overcome these trials, Elrios will be safe._"

Opening her eyes, she stared at me. "The nine great kingdoms are Altera, Velder, Hamel, Sander, Etos, Deze, Beole, Eluidrea, and the fallen Yaria. You are, whether you like it or not, a member of the Etos Kingdom,even though the Etos Kingdom has no ruler, and instead is ruled by a council of lords and ladies. Elsword, I would not have told you about the Stellar Wave if I did not think you were one of the nine." I sighed. She smiled. "Also, do you recall how I told you several villages were destroyed because of their knowledge of the Stellar Wave?" I nodded. "How could I forget?" Sasha smiled. "Look for the survivor of the Belasmist disaster. She will aid you, and is most likely another one of the nine." I took a deep breath. "What can I do to save Elrios?" Sasha looked me in the eye, her eyes clear and focused, which was a rare sight. "I do not know. You can start by staying alive."

It was the beginning of many friendships. It was the beginning of the prophecy that had been foretold long before my birth. It was the beginning of the end.

* * *

Me: So, I decided that instead of writing nine separate one shots, I'd just make them one giant one! So the title changed, too~

Elsword: Why am I mature?

Me: You have no one to argue with. Plus, I loved the idea of making you really mature and intelligent, but you hide it all the time and just act stupid :D

Chung: You've revealed a great deal with this preview.

Me: I have to.

Eve: I don't recall the kingdoms of Etos, Deze, Beole, Eluidrea, and Yaria, despite it being fallen. I must do more research...

Rena: Um, Eve, she made those kingdoms up.

Aisha: I HAVEN'T BEEN MENTIONED YET AT ALL!

Raven: Attention whore.

Aisha: DX

Me: *pulls out scissors* HEY. DON'T MAKE ME USE THE SCISSORS.

Ara: *shivers* Are those...?

Me: *twirls scissors on one finger* Safety scissors? Yes, yes they are.

Elgang: *shudders* DX DX DX DX

Me: Don't forget to R&R!

Raven: What was the significance of the title?

Me: Nothing, it just sounded cool. You can say that Elsword was born with the determination of a dragon if you want, though...

Rena: Lovely.

Love y'all! Chu~


	3. Forest Mirage

**Day of Black: Forest Mirage**

_**Preview Three of the Stellar Wave Chronicles**_

* * *

Swiveling my head around, I grinned at my companions, Amelia, Lime, and Chloe. We were creeping through the forest, on a minor mission given to us by the Elders. All we really had to do was patrol the borders to make sure that there was no unusual demon activity. It wasn't the most exciting of jobs, nor was it the most difficult, but what could you expect, the Elders wouldn't send out several inexperienced, young elves to complete extremely difficult jobs or tasks. I blinked, my heightened senses picking up on a small, unnatural sound coming from the far right. "O spirits of the trees, I summon thee." Holding one hand out in front of me, my bow in the other, a small green orb of shimmering light forming in the palm of my outstretched hand. A willowy voice whispered in my ear, the voice of the nature spirits. _"Rena, how can we aid you, dear girl?" _I smiled. None of my other peers had as much prowess when it came to talking to the spirits. I saw Chloe's eyes gleam with a twinge of envy. Poor Chloe, she was the only elf our age who was still unable to contact forest spirits. Taking a deep breath, I turned back to my spirit. "O spirit, I ask humbly of thou to aid me in my quest." The spirit chuckled. _"There is no need to speak so formally, Rena. You wish for me to investigate the sound, no?" _I nodded, and the ball of emerald light faded away into nothingness, but I knew the spirit was still there. After a few moments, the soft, silky voice resounded beside my ear. _"There is a pair of birds, which was the source of the sound. However, these birds are not of this world. They are the Guardians." _I furrowed my eyebrows. "What are they doing here?" Lime shifted around on the branch she was perched on, her greenish hair swaying in the wind. "Rena, why'd you summon a spirit?" I turned to them, a grim look on my face. "Stay here you three, and continue to check out the area. I'm going to go check something out." Amelia leapt down beside me. "It's too dangerous to go alone. Tell you what, I'll go with you, and Lime and Chloe can continue to check out the area. We'll send messenger spirits to maintain constant contact, and if we're in danger, we'll just send out signal flares. Okay?" Chloe nodded, shifting a tuft of pink hair out of her face. "Be careful you two." I nodded grimly. "Likewise." As we split up, Amelia crouched down next to me. "What did the spirit tell you?" I sighed. "The Guardians are in the forest. I don't know why, but I intend to find out and make a full report to the Elders." Amelia nodded, tucking a golden strand of hair behind her long, pointed ear. "We should." We crept through the forest, the voices of the spirits swirling through our ears. Reaching the spot where the Guardians were supposed to be, I looked around, spotting a pair of vibrantly colored cardinals. Drawing my bow, I aimed carefully at a single bird, but slightly off to the side, just in case the cardinals weren't the creatures we were looking for. Letting the arrow fly, the bird indignantly squawked, falling ungracefully to the side, turning into a boy with black hair and red eyes as he fell, landing squarely on his rump. Standing up, the boy was greeted by squeaking, chirping laughter of the other bird, who turned into a girl, also with black hair and red eyes.

The girl clutched her stomach. "I thought you were better at maneuvering yourself, Velius!" The boy, Velius, scoffed. "Like you could do any better yourself, Calypso." Amelia tugged me into the opening, her bow already strung and ready. Stumbling forwards, I caught myself, and swept a graceful bow, while Amelia aimed her bow at the Guardians. "Greetings. I am Rena of the Elves. My companion is Amelia of the Elves. What brings Guardians such as yourselves into the Elven kingdom of Eluidrea?" The girl named Calypso smiled, despite having an arrow pointed at her head. "Ah, the elves, huh? How nostalgic~" I looked up, my green eyes narrowing, knowing that the look was very menacing. I had picked up the best techniques from my elders, so I knew how to be intimidating when I needed to. "You have not yet answered my question, Miss Calypso." A green spirit swirled down beside me, and whispered in my ear. _"They have been discussing the Stellar Wave... Their powers that enable them to protect it have been waning, and they wish to speak with the Elders about how to regain this lost power. However, the Guardians have only sent these two as messengers. That is what I have heard..."_ I nodded curtly, giving a gentle smile towards the forest spirit. "Thank you, o spirit." Turning back to the Guardians, my tone turned icy again. "You wish to speak with the Elders?" Velius gaped. "How did you know?" Amelia giggled, flashing a smile. "Please do not underestimate our mind-reading powers~" If his jaw opened any wider, it would've hit the ground. "Mind reading powers?!" Calypso giggled. "Velius, she's just joking." I closed my eyes. "Ever heard of the forest spirits? You were loud enough for them to hear. Now, about talking to the Elders..." Amelia frowned. "That might not be a good idea ." Another forest spirit came flying towards Amelia. I heard it whisper that Chloe and Lime had made it back to the Elders, who were questioning where Amelia and I were. "Rena, I'm going to ask the Elders what to do, okay?" I nodded. "Go ahead." A few moments later, the reply came, with only three words. Bring them here.

As Amelia and I walked through the forest with Calypso and Velius in tow, Velius began to attempt to start a conversation with me. "So, how long have you been alive?" I sent him a sharp look. "Probably longer than you." Velius shrugged. "I've been alive for over a thousand years now. I highly doubt that you're older than me." Shrugging, I returned to focusing on the path, watching out for any demons that Chloe and Lime could've missed, although I highly doubted that they did. "You don't talk much, do you?" That I didn't answer. As a matter of fact, I was a massive chatterbox, and would've been talking the ear off of Amelia by now if it were just us. He sighed. "You know, I thought that elves were supposed to be gentle, kind, and compassionate." I smirked. "There are very few people who live up to stereotypes." Velius shrugged. "I guess, but then again, elves seem like the perfect human being, despite being so far from it. I've been in this world for a long time, and I've only seen one or two people who live up to their reputation, and even less who live up to the reputation of the elves." He smiled, showing hints of sadness. "I guess it's like a... a forest mirage, almost. The illusion of the elves being perfect, kind beings isn't true, but no one looks past that image at all." I blinked, shocked. It was quite true what he was trying to say, and it depressed me to know that even though I was young, I didn't make any effort to be kind or gentle. "The problem is that no one knows where to start with this massive image. No one can be someone who they aren't." Velius nodded, staring at the sky. "That's true. But the most they could do is smile. Maybe just a little bit, but even that little bit is enough." He raised a hand, allowing a dark, pulsing orb to gather in his palm. "See, darkness is made up of bitterness, regrets, and sorrow. It's something that can be touched, which is why we Guardians can collect it in our hands." Letting the orb disappear, he grinned. "But light is made up of love and joy. It can't be contained, and scatters across the world, bringing happiness to anyone who touches it. A smile is the conveyor of light, something to help scatter happiness around." I smiled, despite my effort to keep a blank face. "You sounded almost poetic there." Velius smiled. "Hey, if you've lived as long as I have, you'll become poetic eventually." I chuckled. "You're still ignorant, though. Thinking elves could read minds." He pouted, but his eyes sparkled with mirth. "Hey, you never know, the elves could've evolved while I wasn't watching them, y'know!" I giggled, looking over at Calypso and Amelia. They were talking animatedly about the outside world, and all the things out there. I saw a sparkle in Amelia's eyes that I hadn't seen before, and knew that she had found her path.

At the village, the elves drew back from the Guardians almost immediately, fear glittering in their eyes. I peeked at Velius, and saw a look of resigned dejection spread across his face. I sighed gently. "Don't worry about them, they're just shocked at your presence." Calypso sighed. "Where are the Elders, already?!" Amelia pointed to a magnificent oak tree, glittering El shards hanging off of its branches, that was over fifty feet tall. "The Elders are in there. Or at least they usually are." Calypso nodded. "Thank you for taking us here, however we require no further assistance." Her smiled was plastered across her face, and I knew that it was forced this time. Anyone would be nervous, talking to the Elders, who had been alive for thousands and thousands of years. As they two of them took off, Amelia turned to me. "Did you hear Calypso talk about the outside world? It sounds so fascinating, so unreal..." Her eyes glittered. I laughed. "The unknown is always interesting, but unsafe." Amelia sighed dreamily. "I want to go there some day..." I gasped. "Amelia, that would be high treason against the Elven race! You can't!" Amelia smiled brightly. "I'll eventually get put on a mission that'll send me outside, and when that happens, I'll explore all of Elrios!" I smirked. "Sure you will~" Amelia pouted. "Yah, stop it Rena!" Before I could come up with a cheeky comeback, the ground began to shake ominously. Dark fissures spread across the ground, a dark mist swallowing up the unfortunate elves who were too slow to escape it. My eyes widened. "A dark elf is being born..." A voice, so familiar but unfamiliar, laughed from behind me, her voice laden with hatred and cold, dark feelings that were unknown to me. "Ah, Rena. Such a goody-two shoes, the educational prodigy and pride of the elves. Humph. In all truth, you're nothing special, just another whiny girl who's got some talent in shooting a bow and talking with those bastards of spirits." Turning around slowly, my eyes widened. Chloe was dressed completely in black, her pale skin now dark, darker stripes running across her face. Unmistakably a dark elf. "Chloe..." Chloe smirked, her smile unfamiliar and unfriendly. "Why? Why did you become one of... them?" Amelia asked. Chloe laughed, her laughter harsh. I was frozen in shock, unable to do anything but stare at Chloe as her newly gained dark powers ran rampant around the village. "No one pays attention to the elf that can't communicate with spirits, or be as in touch with nature. No, I realized I couldn't communicate with nature because I am a dark elf by birth." She giggled, obviously adoring the shocked face I was making. "Why should I remain here, powerless and looked down on? No, I'll grasp power with my own hands." Cackling, she drew her bow, and fired arrows rapidly, the arrows pulsing with dark energy. Leaping out of the way, I began to sob. "No one thought of you as powerless, Chloe!" Chloe scoffed. "Sure, but you all pitied me!"

Suddenly, the dark energy was pulled into an enormous orb, Chloe being sucked in as well. Behind the orb, both Velius and Calypso struggled to keep all the dark energy in place. I suddenly had an idea. "Someone open up a portal! Anyone! We must send Chloe and her dark energy to a place where she cannot cause trouble!" Velius hollered to the Elders. "Stop gawking and open up the dang portal already!" Calypso nodded, her ever-lasting smile plastered on her face. I admired her for keeping that smile, even while she was struggling. An Elder - bless his soul - opened a portal, and let Velius and Calypso bring the massive, quivering ball over to the small tear in the fabric of time. Calypso sighed. "We'll have to go with it in order to make sure none of this dark energy comes back. After that, we'll leave and return immediately through other means. I nodded, understanding their reasoning, hating that they had to go. "Be safe." Velius nodded to say that he acknowledged her, and then stepped into the portal, followed by Calypso. Both were smiling. Immediately after they stepped in, the Elder sealed up the portal, and sunk to the ground, drained. The entire village trembled in fear for the next week, not wanting to move in case Chloe the Corrupt, as she had been dubbed, came back. During that long week, Calypso and Velius never returned.

It had been over a hundred years since I last saw both Velius and Calypso. Training with my bow, I had continued to work hard, honing the skills that the elves could teach me without any experience in a real battle, and often being sent out to fight. The constant battles resulted in scars, lots of them. Lime had become a guardian of the forest, preferring to use her kicks rather than her bow in battle, and Amelia had become a treasure hunter, giving up her pride as an elf in order to fulfill her dream of seeing the outside world. One day, the Elders called me to speak with them. "Rena," the first said, the one who had opened the portal for Calypso and Velius so many years ago. "This mission is one that only you can complete. You do recall the Guardians who came here a long time ago, correct?" I nodded, how could I have forgotten? "Well, they have returned. And they have specified that you must be sent off to complete this mission." I bowed my head. "What is this mission?" I asked, swallowing my excitement at the return of Calypso and Velius. "You will be traveling around Elrios in order to discover the reason behind the disruption in the flow of the El, and you will find out what managed to penetrate the Guardian's ranks and managed to get to the Stellar Wave." I nodded, shifting my bow to a more comfortable position. "I will discover everything you require of me." The Elder nodded. "Good. However, you will be going alone." I nodded, already expecting this. "Yes, Elder." As I turned to leave, one of them called out to me. "Rena." Looking over my shoulder, I smiled brightly. "I understand. I will stay alive and return by the end of this mission." Leaving the giant tree, I smiled, walking briskly towards the forest. Winding my way through the trees, I held back my long blonde hair as an enormous gust of wind erupted from behind me, sending my hair flying in all directions. Taking a deep breath, I quietly spoke aloud. "I will not fail you, Elders." Grinning slowly, I giggled to myself. "Maybe I'll find out what Amelia found so fascinating about the outside world."

I never knew that the unknown was that addictive. Nor did I know that once I left the Kingdom of Eluidrea, I would never be the same, and would never be able to return.

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Me: So? How was it? I felt like that even if Rena had been alive for hundreds of years, she wouldn't have gained any wisdom without someone pointing out the flaws in humans - and in herself.

Rena: Q.Q Chloe...

Eve: I don't know how much you can keep hidden for your actual series if you keep giving away this much information.

Me: There's still a lot that people don't know... Besides, the entire point of these previews is to give the reader a basic understand of the story with the necessary background knowledge, that way I don't have to keep typing it. Plus, it works as a great teaser!

Raven: You still have six more previews to write...

Chung: *shakes head* Rosa's going to be overburdened soon...

Me: HEY! I've been updating this daily, I think that's pretty good.

Aisha: Yeah, but can you keep it up?

Me: ...

Elsword: Of course she can't. Rosa's a slacker, remember?

Ara: True, true.

Rena: That word describes her perfectly.

Me: *pulls out chainsaw* ALRIGHT! I GET IT! NOW SHUT UP! *chases Elgang with chainsaw*

Elgang: *runs*

Rosalynne: Okay then...? Anyways, don't forget to R&R, people!

Me: *momentarily stops chasing the Elgang* Love y'all! Chu~ *continues chasing Elgang*

Elsword: HELP MEEEEEE!


	4. Caged Bird

**Day of Black: Caged Bird**

_**Preview Four of The Stellar Wave Chronicles**_

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Born with golden eyes and ebony hair, everyone thought I was a demon. Those who thought that if they taunted me enough, I would shut up and become meek, called me 'Bird Boy' or 'Little Chicken' because my name was that of a bird. It simply meant that they were either lacking the mental capacity to realize that if I were truly a demon, there's no way that I would simply let them call me stupid names, or it was that fear that I truly was a demon that drove them to treat me as if I were different from everyone else. Whatever their reasons were, I didn't let them walk all over me, and instead dreamed of a day when I could become a knight, someone who saved many others. From where did I hear of these men in shining armor? The boys in the village always pretended to be knights, mostly so they could chase me around, only to innocently tell their mothers that they weren't hurting me, they were simply pretending to be knights chasing the demon. I was always the demon. The girls in the village weren't much better, always dreamily playing with their dolls while pretending to have the dolls get married to a knight in shining armor, or be saved by that very same knight, or even both. People always think that because of my stoic and severe personality, everyone seems to assume that I had a terrible childhood or was traumatized when I was young. Actually, it was quite different. I had a pleasant youth - minus the fact that I was bullied - and never really seemed to have problems. Of course, the second I turned fifteen, I left home to become a knight, heading deep into the capital of Velder in order to train.

Approaching the wooden door, my heart began to pound in my chest. What would I do if they refused me? Would the captains be like everyone else in my hometown and tell me to leave because of my eyes? Thousands of questions ran through my head all at once, and I had no answer to any of them. What I do know is that a second after I knocked on the door, it flew open. Hitting me in the face with such force that I stumbled back. Rubbing my nose, I looked up to see a fairly tall, blonde girl who couldn't have been any older than me with verdant eyes that glimmered with annoyance. I scowled. "Miss, what was that for?" The girl scoffed. "So, we've got yet another wimp who's come to try and become a knight, hmm? Well, guess what. You're going to fail the knight test, and you will never, ever become a knight. So scram if you want to be a knight because of money or fame or women, okay kid?" I rolled my eyes. "You obviously assumed incorrectly, Miss. Also, you didn't answer me. Should I slowdown that way you can understand me? What. Was. That. For?" The girl glared at me. "Excuse me? That was obviously for your aloof and irritatingly mocking attitude that makes fun of everyone you meet!" I raised an eyebrow. "Miss, that is a poor judgement of my character. After all, we've never met before, so how can you say that I'm aloof and mocking?" The girl's green eyes flashed. "Just shut up!" She whipped out something that looked like a knife. I sighed.

"Miss, please stop this nonsense. You're drawing attention to yourself. Negative attention." The girl glared. "STOP CALLING ME MISS!" I raised an eyebrow. "You never introduced yourself. My name's Raven, by the way." The girl scoffed. "Why should I tell you my name?" I chuckled quietly. "Well then, I guess I'll call you Miss until you tell me your name, then..." The girl scowled. "Seris." I blinked. "Excuse me?" She sighed. "What are you, deaf? Ser-is. I'm Seris, OK?" I grinned. "Nice name you've got there. Now, can you please get out of my way, Seris?" Seris growled. "No." I threw my hands up, exasperated. "Why are you so hell-bent on not letting me in?!" Seris tilted her head. "You're not going to try and push me out of the way?" I blinked in confusion. "Why would I? You're not doing anything by not moving. It's slightly annoying, but it isn't a bad thing... So, let me ask again. Seris, can you please move so I can get past?" She flushed, her green eyes showing nothing but irritation and embarrassment. "Shut up!" Lunging forward, Seris attempted to sink her blade into my chest. Luckily for me, after all those years of running away from bullies, I had pretty good reflexes. Sidestepping, I watched bemusedly as Seris flew past me, eyes wide. Stopping herself, Seris turned gracefully, blade aimed at my neck. Ducking, I spun around to the other side of her and flicked her in the ear. "Ouch!" Holding her ear, Seris glared at me. "What was that for?!" I raised my eyebrow. "That was for attacking me with, oh, I don't know, a knife?" Seris sighed, and walked back to the door frame. Sticking her head inside the building, she called out. "Vanessa, he's a spirited one, but you'll want to keep him." I tilted my head. "So you attacked me to judge whether or not I would make a good knight, hmm?" Seris flushed, and leaned back through the door frame again. "He's fairly smart too. But arrogant in my opinion." I just shrugged, Seris could think whatever she wanted.

Inside the base of the Royal Guard, a woman with frosty blue hair, steel glasses, and even colder blue eyes greeted me. "Seris, are you sure that he'd be a good choice? I mean, look at him. He is scrawny. His eyes are the same color of demon eyes. Not to mention that he's a commoner. I don't have anything against him, but you know how the nobility are when it comes to their soldiers..." A voice laughed. "Vanessa, not all nobility is picky. I'm here, am I not?" I turned to see a boy who also looked my age with silvered hair tied in a short braid and blue eyes. From the way he was dressed and how he stood, I'm guessing he was nobility. "Alex..." Vanessa said. The boy named Alex laughed. "It's fine, he wants to join and Seris said he was okay, right? He'll fill out with enough training, and no one comes up to the Royal Guard and stares at their eyes. Plus, no one needs to know that he's a commoner." I blinked. This Alex person... Even though he was obviously nobility, he didn't give a damn about what I looked like or where I came from. He was... Different from everyone else. Tucking a stray strand of silvery hair behind his shoulder, Alex looked at me, almost studying me. "So, you want to be a knight?" I nodded, unsure of what to say. "Then that's good enough for me. Vanessa, let's take him in, okay?" Vanessa nodded, looking at me over her steel-rimmed glasses. "What's your name, kid?" I looked her firmly in the eye. "Raven." Vanessa raised an eyebrow. "Last name?" I narrowed my eyes. "Is it necessary?" Vanessa chuckled. "You were right, Seris. He does have a lot of spirit." Seris nodded, and as I was lead out of the room to get some more official parts of the selection done, I felt her eyes trained on my back the entire time.

Most of the official information to start training as a knight was paperwork. It was a good thing I actually bothered to learn how to read and write, unlike many of the people in my village who said that education was useless. I was given a training blade, a shield, and a small room amongst the rest of the knight trainees. Each and every day was the same. Wake up at 6 am. Eat a breakfast of bread, a hard-boiled egg, and water at 6:30 am. Morning training, which consisted of many practice drills, started at 7 am and ended at 12 am. Between 12 and 12:30, soldiers could fuel up by eating hardtack they provided. Then it was afternoon classes, mostly made up of survival lessons and a few lessons on chivalry, starting at 12:30 am and ending at 2:30 pm. From 3 pm to 7 pm was evening training, mostly sparring with a few practice drills in between. At 7:30 we ate dinner, which was almost always a bit of soup full of vegetables, bread, jerky, and water. If we were lucky, we'd get some fresh fruit with our dinner. After dinner was a bit more training that started at 8 pm and ended at 10 pm, and then it was night patrols. Each of the seven squadrons was assigned to a certain day to do the night patrols. My squadron was assigned to Thursdays. To my great surprise, both Seris and Alex were in my squadron. Alex became like a brother to me, we were always with each other, supporting each other when it came to sparring, correcting each other when we were doing practice drills, and eating together. Some people said that we were joined at the hip, and sometimes I agreed. Alex was like a strong pillar of support that I could fall back on when my strength crumbled, someone who was always there for me.

Seris and I became good friends – after we got over our initial rivalry. She had been bitter over our first meeting, and I was more than glad to compete with her. We had started off with simple rivalries, like who could throw the spear farther or who could hit harder, but then it soon escalated into who was the best at swordsmanship, or who could earn more praise from our instructor. Alex had to step in and tell both of us to knock it off because, as he said it, 'your petty rivalry is irritating me and many others, so just stop hating each other since it's really stupid, okay?' Even though Alex was nobility, he wasn't the greatest with his words. Seris eventually began to see me as a friend, as did I. Alex, Seris, and I were good friends, and everyone knew it. Some people were jealous of our friendship, some people happy for us. I began to notice more and more of the behaviour patterns of my friends, and soon noticed that Seris was beginning to act weird. She fidgeted often whenever I talked to her, tugging on her hair to make it lay flat every so often, something she never used to do. Seris also began to sneak glances my way when she thought I wasn't looking, and would touch me a lot more – ranging from brushing her arm against my shoulder to hugging me tightly when she saw me. I think she didn't notice, but I caught her blushing when I complimented her. One day, I decided to question her on her strange behaviour.

"Seris!" I said. Turning around, upon seeing me, Seris quickly straightened her military-issued shirt, tugging on her hair again. "Hi Raven!" She waved cheerily, patting me on the back. I looked at her with concern dancing in my eyes. "Seris, are you feeling alright? You've been acting… differently." Alex, who had been sitting on a nearby bench, laughed. "Oh, she's sick alright. Seris here is l–" Before he could finish his sentence, Seris covered his mouth with her hand. "Shut up Alex!" Removing her hand, Alex laughed, but I saw a glimmer of annoyance flicker through his eyes. I ignored it, and instead tried to figure out what he was trying to say.

After a long four years, I finally decided that I had enough of the Royal Guard. Not a single person had been moved up in rank, and we continued to train daily. I had just handed in my letter of resignation when Seris found me. "Raven! What do you think you're doing?" I smiled at her, but I could tell that my smile was strained and forced. "I'm doing nothing while I'm here. It's like being caged. No one has moved up, many have moved down. So, I think it's high time for me to try my hand somewhere else in the world." Vanessa sighed. "You were a good soldier, Raven. I think you would've been moved up to a higher position, but since you were a commoner… Well, the nobility hate the idea of someone who isn't rich being in a high-ranking spot." Rage churned in my stomach. I nodded. "I understand." Vanessa sighed, standing up and extending her hand. "It was a pleasure working with you, Raven. Best of luck out there." Taking her hand, we exchanged a firm handshake, before I left her office to go collect my things. As I was packing my bags, I heard the soft creaking of springs as someone sat down on my bed.

"Raven… What will you do now?" I looked up at Seris, and shrugged. "I don't know. I've spent all of my life training to become a member of the Royal Guard, and now… Well, I'll probably go see if anyone – any city, kingdom, or even village – needs a wandering mercenary." Seris nodded, before putting her hand on my shoulder and looking into my eyes. "I'm coming with you." I blinked, utterly shocked. "WHAT?!" Seris nodded, folding her arms while blushing slightly. "Don't ask. You're such an idiot that you'd end up killing yourself without me there to help you." I chuckled. "Alright then, Seris. Are you sure that what you're doing is a good idea, though?" Seris scoffed. "Please, do you even have the right to tell me to stop?" I laughed. "I guess not. Well then, you might want to pack your stuff." As Seris stood up, Alex burst into the room.

"You're leaving?!" I nodded. "Seris decided that she wanted to come with me, too." Alex looked at Seris, and he grinned with a knowing look. "Good luck, Seris. You deserve an award if you can get anything past his thick head." Seris flushed. "Just shut up, Alex…" She mumbled. Alex laughed, turning to look at me. "Do you know where you're going to go?" I shrugged. "No clue." Alex grinned. "I had a feeling you'd say that. Try the Crow Mercenaries, they're a pretty prestigious group of mercenaries that'll accept anyone with the correct skill set. Be careful though, okay?" I nodded, grinning at Alex. He had helped me out again. Alex, my brother who wasn't my brother, truly was my pillar of strength. But then again, so was Seris. As we left the Royal Guard's base, many of the other soldiers stared at us, almost sneering, as if they were trying to say, 'That's right, get away from here. You're just a commoner, and you have no place among the Royal Guard.' Anger flared up in my stomach, and at that moment, I swore that I would make the nobility recognize me and the rest of us 'commoners' as human beings who were capable of great things.

Turning to look at Seris, I realized that she was staring at me. "Seris… Why did you choose to come with me? You had an entire future behind you back at the Royal Guard. You've also been acting weird around me. Why do you keep fidgeting and fixing your hair? The Seris I first met would never do that. And don't think I haven't noticed your constant habit of touching me, or looking at me. Why do all this?" Seris flushed, looking at the ground. And suddenly all of the pieces clicked. "Seris, you… you really feel about me that way?" Seris turned even redder. "If you mean in a romantic way… then yes." She was so quiet that I barely heard her. "R-Really…" I didn't know what to say. Was this some sort of joke? Did she figure out that I had the biggest crush on her and decided to play around with me?

I took a deep breath. "You aren't joking about this, are you?" Seris gave me a hurt look, and folded her arms. "Would I joke or lie about something like this?" I nodded. Seris, although she was known for her constant pranks and teasing, wouldn't dare to joke about something like this. "Um… I guess I'm the same…" Her head shot up, her green eyes flooding with shock. "What?!" I nodded. "I, uh, I like you too. In a… in a romantic way…" I trailed off, blushing heavily. Seris blinked in surprise. "I never would've guessed." I grinned awkwardly, unsure of what to do next. Cautiously, almost like she was scared I would run away from her, Seris took my hand, flushing a darker red – if that was even possible, because she was rivaling tomatoes with the color of her cheeks. I chuckled, and flicked her in the ear lightly, an action that was a bit of an inside joke. "You're cute when you blush." Of course, she blushed even more profusely. "Shut up," She mumbled. Laughing, we walked towards an inn, planning to stay there until we could find work.

The Crow Mercenaries snapped us up as soon as we said that we had been part of the Royal Guard. Everyone there was so much more friendly and understanding, and soon, we had made many, many new friends. In fact, everyone in the Crow Mercenaries knew our names. Seris and I were engaged a year after we joined the Crow Mercenaries, the day after I had become the first commoner-born Crow Mercenary to complete one of Velder's SS ranked missions. A year after Seris and I were engaged I became the leader of the Crow Mercenaries, much to the dismay of the nobility. I felt proud of myself, being a commoner and holding such a high position. Every now and then, I would see Alex. He congratulated both Seris and I on our engagement, and encouraged us on quietly, but I noticed something… different about him. His eyes were lackluster, and his attitude was slightly more unfriendly and colder. It was as if the nobility, which he returned to after we left the Royal Guard, started to overpower his personality with their own. Of course, Seris was slightly worried for him, but I assured her that it wasn't a big deal, that Alex could handle it on his own. The day after I told her this, I was arresting for murdering some noble that I've never heard of.

The Royal Guard claimed that 'all the evidence pointed to you, Sir Raven, because of all the raven feathers left around the crime scene.' What a load of Phoru shit. I never did anything, but because I was a commoner, it was obvious to them that I was the one who committed the crime. Sighing, I allowed myself to be dragged off to prison. "Don't worry," I told Seris. "Someone will finally discover the truth. Besides, I don't go down easily." I grinned at her before leaving with the Royal Guard. Vanessa looked at me with concern, and I just smiled grimly at her.

When I was brought to my cell, I sat down almost immediately, and looked up at one of the guards. He sneered. "So, commoner? Are you regretting murdering the Duke of Velder yet?" I smirked. "I had no idea Velder actually had a duke up until now." The guard snarled. "Don't play dumb. You might've been the leader of the Crow Mercenaries, but now you're nothing." A familiar voice chuckled. "You couldn't be any more right." My eyes widened as I whipped around, craning my head to look through the bars as I saw silvery hair and blue eyes. "Alex?!" Alex smirked. "Who else?" I glared at him. "Why are you doing this?" He scoffed, and shooed away the guards, leaning in. "You see, you took away the one person who actually talked to me, and stole away the fortune that would've been mine. Since you rose so high through the ranks of the Crow Mercenaries and I was the one who told you to go there, I was treated as an outsider. Do you know how many vicious pranks and rumors I had to go through?! And still, it wasn't enough! My parents said that they would _disown_ me if you didn't fall, Raven. Fortunately for me, everyone else hates commoners too." I scowled. "You're mad, Alex. Enough of this nonsense!" Alex smirked. "You shouldn't do that Raven. I could call the guards and tell them that you were threatening me and have you shot. But don't worry, you'll die soon anyways. Tomorrow is the date of your execution. I'll make sure to invite everyone, with Seris in the front row as she watches you get beheaded." I growled. "I won't die that easily." Alex chuckled darkly. "You won't die easily if we were simply going to beat you to death. I'm fairly sure a sharp blade will be a much better killing tool." Turning around, Alex stalked away, his shoes clacking on the stone ground. I sighed, resting my head on the wall. Tomorrow would be the end of me, eh? Well then, I'd better die with style.

Waking up to a firm shake on my shoulders, I stared wide-eyed at the person in my cell. It was Seris. "Seris?!" I squeaked, barely able to speak. She hushed me, putting one finger to my lips. "Later. Right now, we need to get out of here." I gaped as she dragged me out of the cell, dashing at full speed out of the prison. It wasn't Seris' urgency that made me gape, it was the fact that every single guard had been knocked out, as well as the fact that the Crow Mercenaries were the ones who did it. How did I know? Because as many Crow Mercenaries as I could count were running with us, racing around the twisting corners of the prison. "What is this?!" A Crow Mercenary grinned at me. "It's called a jailbreak, Captain!" Bursting out of the prison, the Crow Mercenaries rushed into the forest, bringing me with them. A feeling of relief overcame me, not that I escaped my death, but that someone knew that I didn't kill that nobleman, and that Seris wouldn't have to watch me die. But my relief was soon overcome when I heard a deep sigh come from behind us. "My, my. Someone's been a bad boy." Whipping around, I glared at Alex. "Alex. Haven't you had enough? I'm already considered one of the most wanted men in Velder by escaping from prison and having you frame me for a murder." Alex laughed. "Raven, did you not hear me earlier? You need to fall out of the sky! Remember when you said you wanted to leave the Royal Guard because they kept you caged? Well, guess what. The only way to free yourself from that cage is death. When a bird falls out of the sky, they die. That means I will not be satisfied until you die." Seris glared at him. "You are not the Alex I used to know. You've become a twisted man, Alex, someone that no one can admire." One by one, the Crow Mercenaries raised their weapons. A faint noise resounded in my ears, but I shook my head, chalking it up to the sound of my furiously beating heart.

Alex chuckled, taking a couple somewhat hesitant steps backwards. "Really. You think I would be idiotic enough to try and take you on alone? No, I've got a special surprise ready for you. Goodbye." My eyes widened as I realized the noise I had dismissed earlier was really there, and that it was a bomb. Leaping back, I dragged Seris with me, but I wasn't quick enough. The entire forest floor erupted into flames, wood splintering and rocks bursting instantaneously. A searing pain scorched my left arm, and I looked down, only to realize that a particularly large, sharp shard of rock had torn my arm off completely. Splintered pieces of wood cut deeply into my torso, a few reaching my face. Gritting my teeth, I watched in horror as the unlucky members of the Crow Mercenaries who were unable to jump out of the way of the blast were blown to pieces, flesh and blood splattering around. Seris screamed out in pain, and I stared at her, wide-eyed, immediately locating the large splinters that had pierced her. She gasped for breath, her eyes becoming unfocused, her breathing shallow. Alex laughed cruelly from somewhere, the dull slicing noise of a blade being slit across the throats of anyone who survived ringing out in the now silent forest, but I couldn't tell where he was. All of my thoughts were focused on Seris, and Seris alone. She took a shuddering breath, a deep cerise color staining her formerly pristine white shirt. Coughing, Seris looked at me with her deep verdant eyes. "Raven…" I shook my head. "Don't talk." Seris glanced at my missing arm. "You're hurt…" I gritted my teeth. "It's nothing." Seris laughed slightly, her skin paling and growing colder by the second. "I… love you, Raven…" She shuddered, blood leaking out of her mouth. Her breaths were coming rapid and quickly now, and soon, Seris fell limp in my arm. Coughing, a fine mist of blood spraying from my mouth, and I collapsed close to her, my vision turning blurry. I closed my eyes, waiting for death to come for me.

Opening my eyes, the first thing I saw was a thick, slimy green liquid that bubbled up and oozed around my body. Shifting slightly, I felt wires and tubes pull on my skin. A mask that was providing me with oxygen covered my mouth and nose, and my left arm buzzed painfully. Wait, my left arm? It had been blown of when Seris… Seris… Seris… Seris…

I will avenge Seris. It was Velder who did this to her. Seris. The Stellar Wave could bring her back, so I must follow my orders. Seris.

Looking at my left arm, a maniacal grin rose to my lips when I saw that it was entirely made of metal, deadly and claw-like. Flexing my arm, I tore the tubes out of my body, the green liquid being stained with red. Destroying the glass tube that I was confined to, I heard multiple alarms begin to ring. Laughing, I punched a wall with my new arm, destroying it, before I ran. Not knowing where I was going, I knew I would ultimately end up in Velder, where I would destroy everything. Soon, I came across an airship. A man wearing a black gas mask saluted me. "Captain Raven, sir!" I narrowed my eyes at him, drawing myself to full height. "Where am I, soldier?!" The man saluted again. "Aboard your ship, sir! The Black Crow, sir!" I nodded. "Set course for Velder. Prepare for takeoff!" Saluting once more, the man ran off, the aircraft slowly rising into the air. I laughed, dragging my Nasod arm across the railing of the airship, relishing the screeching of the metal on wood.

Seris. Seris. Seris. Seris. Seris. I will destroy Velder. Must destroy Velder. Stellar Wave. Must find Stellar Wave. Seris.

I had lost my mind. And there was no turning back.

* * *

Me: Hihi! So, I'm back with an update!

Raven: T_T Seris...

Ara: What's with you and having your characters bullied?

Me: No one escapes from some form of bullying in their life. Anywho, I won't be updating for a bit~

Rena: So we get a break from being killed?

Me: No, I'll just get Ruby to murder you instead :P

Chung: *sweatdrops* ...So, why won't you be updating?

Me: I'll be on vacation, PEEPS! Yes, my super cheap family has decided to go on a vacation to... Montreal...

Eve: Isn't that in the same country?

Me: SHUSH! I said that my family is super cheap, okay?

Aisha: Poor Raven, he's been traumatized.

Raven: Someone feels my pain...

Aisha: But I've been traumatized too, so I guess Raven's okay :D

Raven: OTL

Elsword: Hey, didn't you have something else to announce, Rosa?

Me: Oh yeah! WOOT I'VE MADE THE LONGEST CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF ALL MY CHAPTERS SO FAR! WITH 4,000+ WORDS!

Rena: -_-;; That's not that much...

Me: I'm too lazy to write more, okay?

Chung: Don't forget to R&R people!

Eve: Rosa would like your opinion on her story previews so far. Yes, these are just the previews.

Elsword: There are only... *counts on fingers* Five more to go!

Ara: ELSWORD CAN COUNT THAT HIGH?! WHOA PLOT TWIST!

Elsword: DX

Love y'all! Chu~


	5. End of Nasod

**Day of Black: End of Nasod**

_**Preview Five of The Stellar Wave Chronicles**_

* * *

I blinked, the harsh electrical light invading my eyes, momentarily blinding me. A few lines flickered before my eyes, and I read them quickly.

SYSTEMS ACTIVATED. ALL READINGS GREEN. ADJUSTMENTS MADE.

Sitting up, I yawned delicately, covering my mouth with one of my hands. A chorus of welcomes greeted me. Looking around, I saw many people with pale skin; blue orbs etched with gold embedded in their foreheads, round, tapered cones on the sides of their heads. Standing up, more words flashed on my screens.

ACCESSING IMPLANTED MEMORY CHIP.

I blinked, my golden eyes emotionless. Holding up my hand, a motioned for them to be at ease. "All hail Queen Eve, the Little Queen of the Nasod!" One of them cried out feverishly. Soon, the rest of the massive population of Nasods bowed down. I sighed, toying with one of my silver locks of hair. Stepping down from the platform I was on, I realized the significance of today. Today was the day the Queen of Nasod arose. Nodding curtly to a Nasod wearing a white suit with a black visor covering his eyes, he bowed, clearing the courtyard, sending all of the nobility gathered to see me back to their homes. I sighed. Well then, I must prepare to ascend the throne, even if I was born just today.

My eyes flicked over to the Nasod with the visor. "What is your name?" He visibly jumped, whirling around and bowing clumsily. My eyes narrowed. _Does he need maintenance?_ He made a bunch of whirring noises, and I nodded again. "Oberon, please prepare a workplace for me. I am in dire need to properly equip myself in the basic knowledge and etiquette required of a ruler." Oberon bowed again, dashing off to go prepare things. I tucked a silver strand of hair behind my ear. "Systems, please bring up a map of the area, alongside some blueprints to build myself some drones.

ACCESSING REQUIRED FILES.

A deep voice chuckled from behind me. "Miss Eve, you do not need to work so hard. You are, after all, newly created." I turned around, my face as expressionless as ever. "King Ignotum." Curtsying gracefully, I drew myself up, standing straight and tall. "I would not wish for our people to think that I am incapable of working efficiently." Ignotum shook his head, a few strands of his ebony hair falling in his face.

He sighed. "Nonsense. I'm sure they would understand." I sighed, and shook my head curtly. "Although Altera and the rest of Elrios have been getting along fairly well, there is still an obvious tension between us and the humans. I would not wish to be underprepared lest there be an attack on us." Turning around, I calmly excused myself, walking down the hallways, a Nasod with black hair and a black-and-pink maid's dress intercepting me. "Milady Eve, Oberon has completed your workplace. If you would please follow me, I will lead you to it." I nodded. "Thank you…" The maid looked back, her onyx eyes flashing. "Ophelia."

I nodded again, following Ophelia down the halls while studying the map that my systems had brought up. "We are here, Milady Eve. Shall I fetch you some tea?" I looked at her. "If you would." Ophelia bowed, dragging Oberon out of the workspace, leaving me alone. Turning around, I studied the area I had been given.

It was fairly spacious, the walls all a pristine white, with many shelves filled with neatly organized building materials, many holding scraps of iron and other materials. Alongside one wall was a massive amount of tools, varying from all sorts of electric saws to the smallest of screwdrivers. A large holographic screen was being projected from a desk, various blueprints and maps covering the screen, a smaller screen next to it filled with all sorts of numerical codes and information. One half of the room was occupied by a large workbench, a few vital tools already scattered across it, a door that unlocked by a fingerprint scan sitting next to it.

Opening up the door, I saw a room divided into two parts, the half closer to me appearing to be some sort of lounge, monitors of all sizes lining the walls, a few plush chairs scattered throughout it. On the other side, which was separated by another door and a large, thick glass panel, was a room that was painted entirely white. It looked like some sort of testing room. Exiting the room, I sent the blueprints I was looking at over to the larger holographic screen, tapping them every now and then to adjust the size, clarity, and detail. Snapping my fingers, a few baskets carrying the materials I desired floated over to me. A knock at the door momentarily distracted me. "Come in."

Ophelia appeared in the door, setting down a tray filled with an elegant blue-and-white teapot and two matching cups, a bowl filled with sugar and a smaller flask filled with milk. "Today's tea is Earl Grey tea. Would you like any sugar and milk with it?" I nodded slightly. Ophelia proceeded to pour me a cup of the sunset colored liquid, placing a few lumps of sugar and a dash of milk in it, stirring the steaming drink around a bit before handing it to me. I nodded graciously, taking a careful sip of the hot tea before setting the teacup down. "I do not require any more assistance. You are dismissed, Ophelia." Ophelia curtsied, leaving the room with much more grace than Oberon. On a slight impulse, I called out to her again. "Ophelia, please make sure you check Oberon's systems. He has not been acting accordingly." Ophelia swept another graceful curtsy before leaving – this time, I did not call out to her again.

Shaking my head slightly, I sighed. "Run a system check. I am slightly worried about this impulsive nature. Perhaps there is a blown fuse or damaged wire somewhere within me?" A few beeps later, the results flashed before my screen. I frowned. Everything seemed to be fine, but I was still slightly concerned. Turning back to my work, I left my tea mostly untouched as I focused on creating two drones, carefully piecing together their delicate circuit boards, placing a fresh memory chip in each of their main control centers.

After what seemed like hours of toiling over the small drones, the black one's eyes lit up, and slowly, it floated upwards, albeit a bit shakily. I sighed, and beckoned for it to come over to me. "There must be an issue with the stabilizers…" Opening up a small panel in its back, I quickly identified the problem, grabbing a small hammer to fix it. While I was doing so, the white drone slowly came to life, hovering upwards much more smoothly than the black one had. Closing up the panel on the black drone's back, I turned to them, watching as they hovered in front of me, their brightly lit eyes gleaming in the light. "I am Eve, your Mistress. From now on, you two will be known as Moby and Remy." The drones shook, almost like they were answering me, which I knew was impossible, because I did not give them a speech center. "Come." Exiting the workplace, I decided to get some fresh air, walking around the courtyard.

The wind blew softly across the evenly cut grass, stirring the green leaves in the trees, prompting a brown squirrel, its bushy tail fluffed against the cool wind, to scurry across the white marble pathway, diving into a hole in one of the many trees, chattering irately at the blustery day. I chuckled, finding the eccentric behaviour of the squirrel quite interesting.

Moby beeped, a whirring sound emitting from his small body. I sighed. "Is there now?" Remy let out a small peep, confirming what Moby had just relayed. Nodding, I waved my hands imperiously, commanding Moby and Remy effortlessly. They flew forwards, their metallic bodies meeting that of the intruder's with a loud clang, pushing him out of the tree, crash-landing on the floor. Growling, said intruder leapt to his feet, impetuously raising a blade to charge at me. Waving my hands again, I sent Moby and Remy crashing into his back, before raising my hand and firing a powerful ball of crackling electricity at him. The intruder fell to the ground with a grunt, and by then, Ophelia and Oberon had come over to see what the disturbance was.

Oberon launched himself over to the intruder so quickly I could barely see him, a silver sword flashing before it came in contact with an arm, loping it off cleanly. Grunting, Oberon parried a wild swing from the intruder, stabbing him straight through the chest, cutting him in half with practiced ease, wires and circuits sparking viciously. Ophelia waved her hand, summoning a hot-pink machine gun, firing rapidly at another hostile Nasod that had been lurking about, causing Oberon to jump and flail about, much different from his previous calm demeanor. The Nasod ducked behind a tree, peering out only to come face-to-face with a crackling, rose-colored ball of electricity. Blowing up in the Nasod's face, it flew backwards, crashing into a sturdy stone wall of the palace, its head cracking open with a stunning display of arching electricity, sparking every now and then.

Ophelia turned to me. "Milady, are you unharmed?" I nodded curtly. "Rogue Nasod bladers? Perhaps there was an issue with their systems." I glanced disinterestedly at Oberon, who had somehow gotten his sword tangled up in the wires spilling out from the severed Nasod blader, watching him leap about, shaking violently, as he tried to detangle it. "Speaking of which, did you find any errors in Oberon's systems?" The maid shook her head. "Oberon has no issues. However, I believe the reason behind his strange behaviour is due to the fact that Oberon was only recently created, and has not had sufficient time to mature properly." I raised an eyebrow. "I was only created today, yet that has not stopped me from maturing." Ophelia blinked, before curtsying. "With all due respect, you have much more pressure on your shoulders, Milady. It is only natural that you would mature before Oberon." I nodded, averting my gaze from Oberon. "I see." Dismissing them, a clatter of footsteps caught my attention.

Ignotum came rushing down the path, something akin to worry scrawled across his features. Perhaps he was malfunctioning. "Eve, are you alright?" I blinked, turning my expressionless gaze onto Ignotum. "I am more than capable of defending myself, King Ignotum." He sighed, the 'worry' on his face dissipating into a smile. Was his ability to portray such a vast variety of emotions the reason he was a successful leader? I must take note of the various emotions humans show in order to mimic them during political meetings. Ignotum grinned almost childishly, folding his arms behind his head in a very un-kingly behaviour. "Eve, I understand you are able to defend yourself, but what if you can't handle it all yourself? I have a good reason to have been worried." I replied in a calm, smooth voice. "Nasods do not have emotion." Ignotum grinned again. "They don't have emotion when they trick themselves into believing that." I let out a huff of irritation, folding my arms regally and glaring at him. "That is a ridiculous notion, King Ignotum. As for your previous statement, there is nothing I cannot handle myself."

As if the world wanting to mock me for my bold statement, a deafening roar resounded, crackling my delicate hearing systems. Cringing, I dropped to the ground, holding my sensory cones, shortly followed by King Ignotum. The sky lit up in a brilliant shade of cochineal, billowing, stygian black smoke clouding the sky, bathing everything in almost utter darkness, if it were not for the red that stained the sky. The ground beneath us shook, the sturdy castle walls slowly crumbling. Bright streaks of light shot through the sky, some time, some massive, frying my vision systems every time I caught a glimpse of them. Ignotum grabbed my hand, dashing as best as he could, his legs wobbling, through the castle, avoiding debris and stones that were falling to the ground, gravity catching them in her tantalizing pull. And still we continued to run. I heard screams, whirrs, chirps, all sorts of noises, coming from the remaining Nasods that didn't have their systems completely shut down on them when the explosion occurred. My people were crying, screaming, begging to not die. Moby and Remy chirped next to me with worry. I felt myself being filled up with something that could only be described as terror. My systems flashed before my eyes.

DANGER. DANGER. ENERGY LEVELS DEPLETING. PLEASE FIND THE NEAREST PRESERVATION POD. SHUTTING DOWN IN 365 SECONDS. 364. 363. 362.

The system continued to count down as we scrambled through the falling castle. A loud whirr of pain made my eyes widen. Oberon. Was he alright? What about Ophelia? Ignotum tugged me out of my thoughts as we reached the preservation chambers, quickly punching in the code, the doors groaning open, only to become stuck part way, the opening to tight for either of us to enter.

204. 203. 202. 201. 200. 199.

Ignotum scowled, trying to pry the doors open. My mind scrambled for a way to get down. "Stand back!" I barked, charging an electron ball. Ignotum's eyes widened. "You're going to waste your energy reserves!" I ignored him, breaking the door. My systems flashed again.

WARNING. PLEASE FIND THE NEAREST PRESERVATION POD. ENERGY LEVELS AT 20%. SHUTTING DOWN IN 60 SECONDS. 59. 58.

Mind reeling, I raced through the preservation pods filled with Nasods. I saw my cousin Apple floating in one, her pale, cherry-colored hair spread like a halo around her. Q-PROTO_00 hovered in a pod next to her. My eyes darted past them, landing on an empty preservation pod. I dashed over to it, spotting Ignotum climb into one near Apple. Suspended in the glowing pale blue liquid, I closed my eyes. My systems flashed one final time.

ENTERING PRESERVATION MODE IN 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.

My vision blurred, and I felt myself slip into a dreamlike state, the screams of my people still ringing in my ears.

* * *

I felt myself falling. What? I shouldn't be able to feel anything! I was in preservation mode, was I not? Suddenly, my body connected with the floor, a loud, metallic clatter ringing out. Looking beside me, I saw that Moby and Remy had long been inactive, probably unable to function. Standing up, I looked around, feeling 'terror' well up inside me again. Around me, the empty shells of Nasods that had long since fallen out of their preservation pods lay on the floor, blackened with rust, soot, and in some cases, decay. Both Apple and PROTO looked as if they had only fallen out recently, their eyes closed, making them appear as if they were just sleeping. Ignotum, on the other hand, was totally broken, his neck lolling to one side, black hair covering his expression, wires sparking slightly as the metal encasing his body began to rust to the point that it fell away. My hands flew to my mouth, gazing at the gruesome, silent scene before me. "Am I the only one who survived?!" Wandering out of the preservation room, I almost wished I stayed inside.

The castle was in ruins, covered in withered ivy and tan mushrooms, sickly chartreuse plants sprouting every now and then, the majority of them shrunken and dried out, turning a crispy, angry brown. Once white walls were now stained charcoal, smeared with grime and dirt, the magnificent carpets and tapestries rotted and moldy, creating a foul odour that burned her nose. What was worse than the disrepair of the castle, however, was the Nasods that lay around her feet. They must have, in a desperate attempt to stay alive, tried to get into the preservation pods, but failed, their bodies torn apart and littered around the hallway like autumn leaves that fell off of a tree. I felt sick to my stomach, turning away from the appalling scene, turning to look out the window, instantly regretting it.

Ophelia lay on the ground, body still slightly sparking, golden eyes wide, her face permanently stuck in fear. Oberon fared no better, his limp, lifeless body dangling from a tree – El knows how he got there, but I was sure I myself didn't want to know. His own sword was buried deep into his chest, his visor falling off his face, revealing a surprisingly stunning set of blue eyes, blue eyes that were unfocused and staring straight at me, but at the same time, not at me. Hysteric sobs rose up in my throat, and I did my best to hold them back, collapsing amongst the bodies of my people, gasping for my breath. Tears poured out of my eyes, and I allowed myself to drown in sorrow, something dark and terrible burning in me – what was it? Ah, yes, 'loneliness.' I was ever aware that I was all alone, and it frightened me. I didn't want to be alone. A single, slightly golden light caught my eye. It was shining faintly, almost as if it would go out at any time. Crawling over to it – I didn't have the strength or heart to stand up and walk – I slowly opened the chest of one of the higher-up Nasods, gasping when I saw a glowing, living Nasod core. Taking it out, after confirming that the Nasod was truly dead, I cradled it in my hands. "I can revive my race…" I whispered, more tears filling my eyes. This time, it was tears of joy.

The next few days were a blur, filled with many, many codes, the construction of a new body for the new King Nasod, and finding a way to revive the Nasod race. I took the memory chips from Ophelia and Oberon, silently promising to rebuild them. After I finished wiring the new King Nasod, I gently removed the memory chip from the base of Ignotum's neck, placing it into the new King. To start up the new king and revive the Nasod race, I would need to become the new power source. However, I had found a particularly large El shard earlier, one that held a small amount of energy from a much vaster source, one that I did not know of. It would rest with me, just in case my systems broke down while I was powering the core. Closing my eyes, I eased myself into my new preservation pod, the El shard gleaming next to me, closing my eyes for what would most likely be the last time.

* * *

I awoke with a sharp jolt. What on Elrios?! This was the second time I was awoken with such force. Opening my eyes, I stared at a lush, green forest. Blinking, I looked around me. I was in a new preservation pod, not the one I had designed for myself. When was I transferred? Does this mean it was a success? Better yet, why am I not in Altera? Why does this pod look like the ones I slept in while the El was exploding? There was no way that this pod would be able to transfer my power to the core. Just what had transpired while I was asleep? A red-haired boy with crimson eyes popped up in front of me, much too close for comfort, a petite, purple haired-girl further behind him, a long, slender staff gripped in one hand, a slightly irritated look plastered on her face. Beside her was a woman – no, a female elf, with sparkling verdant eyes, her long blonde hair swaying slightly as she beamed at a tall, tanned man with dark scars marring his face, his ebony hair sticking out everywhere wildly, golden eyes narrowed with what appeared to be annoyance, but not by the elf's incessant chatter. His left arm was mechanical, unlike anything I had ever seen, the dark metal gleaming ominously, claw-like fingers curling into a fist.

Upon seeing me open my eyes, the redhead tried - _very casually - _ to blend in with the vegetation. It failed. Getting curious, the redhead poked my cheek. "Oi, are you alive?" My eyes narrowed. "YOU INSOLENT FOOL!" Raising my hand, I slapped him firmly across the cheek. And let me tell you, my slaps are quite harsh.

The redhead stumbled backwards into the purple-haired girl, who screeched with surprise, making the elven woman laugh, her expressions lighting up, before the purple-haired girl crashed into the man with black hair and the metallic claw, catching him off guard as they all toppled to the ground, not leaving the elf unscathed, as the black-haired man bumped into her, the redhead tripping over the purple-haired girl's outstretched foot as she ungracefully fell on the black-haired man, causing him to stumble over and crash full force into the elf, who had stumbled unceremoniously after being bumped by the black haired man. Ultimately, they all landed in a heap, the blonde laughing, allowing the black-haired man to help her up, a scowl plastered across his face. The redhead glared at me. "What was that for?!" The purple-haired girl hit him over the head with her staff; using such force I feared he would have a concussion. "You can't just go poking people, Elbaka!" The redhead glared. "Shut up, grape-head!" They began to argue. I snorted tetchily, folding my arms and fixing them with an emotionless glare. "Who are you, and where am I?"

The elf smiled. "My name is Rena. This grumpy-bear over here is Raven~" She poked the raven-haired man who was appropriately named. He snorted at her in response, fixing me with a cold glare that I kindly returned. The purple-haired girl sighed. "My name is Aisha, and this idiot is–" The redhead protested. "I can introduce myself, you damn brat!" Turning to Eve, he grinned cockily. "The name's Elsword. Got it memorized?" That earned him another whack on the head from Aisha. Rena looked at them, the smile still on her face, but it looked almost forced, and was much darker, an aura radiating from her that made me shiver. "Can you two stop?" Elsword and Aisha stiffened, nodding quickly. Rena relaxed, grinning. "You can flirt later~" Elsword turned a dark red, his face matching his hair, while Aisha looked extremely flustered. Rena turned back to me. "We're on the outskirts of a town called Elder." Aisha nodded. "We're travelers. Originally, we were all the way up in Feita, but we came back because a friend of ours in Elder called for us. What's your name, miss? And why are you in that pod? It fell out of the sky, you know." My suspicions began to build, and a feeling of dread filled me. Something went wrong while I was asleep. "I am Eve, Queen of the Nasods." Raven stiffened visibly. Rena's smile froze, looking more shocked than anything. Aisha looked stunned. Elsword tilted his head. "What's a Nasod?" I then proceeded to slap him again, his cheek beginning to swell.

I was in for the ride of my life.

* * *

Me: Anyone else feel like they'll never look at Eve the same way again?

Elsword: *holding his cheek* Eve slapped me...

Chung: When does she not?

Raven: Grumpy-bear?

Rena: I think it's cute~ ^^

Raven: -.-

Aisha: HEY LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF!

Everyone but Aisha: ?

Aisha: HEEEERE COMES TROUBLE!

Everyone but Aisha: Wat.

Aisha: *shrugs* I felt like it. Oh yeah, your question of the day?

Me: Right! So, just to go over the rules again for those of you who don't know: Every time I hit ten chapters (Five for a shorter story, right away for a oneshot) I will put a question at the bottom in the author note! The questions will come randomly after that.

Ara: Your job, as the readers/reviewers is to answer this question! First person with the right answer wins a oneshot with a pairing of their choice!

Eve: Also, to make it fair, if you have already won a oneshot from her, even if you are the first person with the right answer, the next person with the correct answer will also win a oneshot.

Me: Thank you! Now, for this chapter's question:

Q: What is the Stellar Wave?

Elsword: Good luck answering the question!

Me: Now I will reply to my lovely reviewers! (All three of you!)

Tsu-chan: *pats you on the back* Sigh... You and water are having a little dispute again, eh? (I feel so Canadian XD) Thank you~! Maybe you'll make one someday... *looks up into sky waiting for OC to fall out of it* Yush, lots of writing! But it's fun, so I'm good. Thanks for the support~

Asian: ...Ooh, burn. No worries, unless you're a guy with blue eyes and silver hair who's nobility, you're good. I think. XD YUSH, POLITICIANS ARE THE NEW NOBILITY. I think the mindset when Raven was young would be the equivalent of racism, but hey, they could get away with it no matter what. Els is just too easy tease and be mean too~ Hey, Ara has spunk too! What with being possessed by Gumiho every now and then... Yeah, that would be interesting *mutters* Damn he predicted my plot... Eh? No, I never said anything about my plot! *whistles suspiciously*

Ruby: Raven just had to die mentally. Skill revamp, hmm? Yes I've heard of it, I believe I've ranted enough about it. I mean... DAMN YOU KOG WITH YOUR LOVE AFFAIR WITH AISHA! VP with 740 FREAKIN' MANA?! And EM now absorbs projectiles and changes it to mana? WTF?! Are they trying to destroy their game?! Plus, CHOOSING YOUR SKILLS?! There will never be any more combo skills. They're making you choose between the babies of each class! Like CN, KoG just decided to mosey on in and say, 'Hey, let's make CN choose between Queen's Throne and-' STOP. I refuse. Ahem. Yesh, there is now competition! And here's your update! Ah... *evil grin* Here's the motivation you need to update... If you don't update, Elsword's curse in BBoU will be postponed until later. I was planning to activate it in the next chapter... hehehehe... Just some 'friendly' motivation~

Eve: R&R, please.

Elsword: See you next chapter!

Me: Love y'all! Chu~


	6. Military Prince

**Day of Black: Military Prince**

_**Preview Six of The Stellar Wave Chronicles**_

* * *

My name is Chung Seiker. And today I died.

I was born into the great family of Seikers, long-time guardians of Hamel. From birth, we trained to fight, to protect our king with our lives. So, at the young age of three, I was presented with many, many books on alchemy and various technologies, and several scraps of material I could tinker around with. I loved to read about the Nasods, often wondering about their complex machinery and intricate circuit boards, trying to come up with ideas on how to make one. After I designed and built the first prototype of an air-powered, automatic cool down system for Destroyers, I was labelled as a child prodigy, nicknamed 'The Little Prince of Hamel' or 'Prince' for short, and was often mistaken for the King's son. Of course, the real prince wasn't too happy about this, and quickly pushed up all of my battle training, so when I was seven (I invented the automatic cool down system when I was five) I started full-fledged military training, being forced to drag weights around the castle to build up my strength. In other words, torture. Huffing and puffing, I pulled the bag around, hearing my father yell at me.

"Hurry up, son! You'll never be strong like that! Stop being a pansy and man up!"

Hey, I was only seven! So no, I did not have a typical childhood, it was mostly made up of military training, running around with extremely heavy objects, and reading books that were made for people much older than I was. Of course, there was also the snotty Prince I had to deal with, and the constant teasing over my feminine looks. I'll have you know, my mother was one of the most beautiful women in Hamel. The King himself wished to marry her, but she chose my father instead. I consider myself somewhat blessed to have my deceased mother's looks, even if it made me look very feminine. Despite my childhood hardships, I somehow managed to grow up to be polite, well-mannered, and quiet, unlike the Prince, who became a very rugged, rough-and-tumble, ill-mannered boy. The classic case of Cinderella, huh? Those who have everything are spoiled brats, while those who have nothing are as sweet as sugar. Anyway, my father was very much a tiger father. Strong, independent, handsome, everything a father _should_ be. He was everything but caring.

The day my mother died, he died as well.

Suddenly cold and uncaring, he pushed me to my limits, testing my strength until I couldn't stand, trying to make me the ultimate military machine. Why? I don't know. I still don't know, but I can only assume that it was because he didn't want to lose me, didn't want me to die in a Glitter attack like my poor mother did, wanted me to be strong enough to defend myself. I guess it was his way of repenting for the loss of my mother.

Still, every day he sent me out, and every day I came back, lungs aching, completely spent and exhausted, barely able to walk, only to have to do it again the next day.

I guess I should be grateful to him. I never would be who I am now if it weren't for him.

The day I turned twelve, he gave me my own Destroyer and Freturnier, not one of those cheap imitations, but a real, hand-crafted one. It must've cost a fortune. "Son," he said. "You are a real military prince. Make me proud. If I hear of even one demon hitting you, even if it just barely scratches this armor, I'll send you to the guillotine and feed your body to the dogs."

Real inspirational Dad. Real inspirational.

Needless to say, I kept my armor in very good condition, fixing it almost immediately that way if he ever came by, it was in perfect condition. After all, he was a man of his word. Once I thought he was joking about whipping me if I couldn't carry a Destroyer around the yard in under five minutes. I still have the scars to prove it.

A year later, Hamel was attacked by demons. My father was sent out into battle, and never came back. In the time of most desperate need, the prince demanded that I too, was sent into the Great Demon War. His mother objected.

"He is too young, son! Prince Seiker is but a child, almost the same age as you!" The prince snorted.

"Mother, he is not 'Prince Seiker,' he is simply 'Chung Seiker.' As a member of the Seiker family, he should be proving his worth by getting out there on the damn battlefield and fight for Hamel, even if it gets himself killed! He knew what he was getting into when he pledged loyalty to the Royal family, so how _dare_ he still be sitting here? Chung Seiker, as the Prince of Hamel, I _order_ you to go out there and fight for Hamel. If you die, so be it! It was, after all, your choice to become a guardian of Hamel. Well? What do you say, _Prince Seiker_? You already own a Destroyer and Freturnier, no?"

I sucked in a deep breath, plastering what I hoped was a determined smile on my face. I really hated that prince. "Of course I will fight for Hamel, my Prince. My Queen, please do not worry about me, I have trained for this all my life." The queen gave me a worried look, before nodding silently. Turning around, I heard her whisper a soft prayer to herself.

"Dear Lady of El, please protect this boy who my son has just sentenced to death..."

I would not die. No, I had to show that bratty prince that I was strong, had to set the queen's guilty conscience to rest. I would come back.

After reporting to my brigade captain (Who was shocked beyond belief at my... Well, let's say it was my age. Definitely _not_ my feminine face), I trudged off to the battlefield. Explosions of dark magic and deathly poisons filled the air, many of my comrades, clad in their own Freturniers and outfitted with their own Destroyers, were littered around me. Wading knee-deep through the bodies of both friend and foe, bile rose up in my throat.

_No! No, you can't panic now!_

Swallowing my nerves as best as I could, I loaded my Destroyer, blasting an oncoming Glitter demon to pieces, rolling to the ground effortlessly as I fired at another demon, turning gracefully, smashing the barrel of my cannon into the thick skull of yet another.

_These demons are so easy to beat. Why are there so many of our men left dead on the ground?_

My answer came much to quickly. A dark, shadow-like creature, lines of fiery orange etched into its sides, suddenly collided with my back, sending me crashing to the ground. Flipping over, I barely managed to block a powerful attack it dealt with its claws, rolling over to the side, firing a well-placed cannonball to the head. To my immense surprise, the creature only reeled back, before attacking me again. Eyes wide, I leapt out of the way, tumbling into another of the strange, shadowy creatures. Pulling on my helmet, I charged, swinging my cannon and blasting all the shadows within my reach. One escaped my constant rain of fire, screeching as it slashed at me with its claws, leaving deep gashes in my armor. Quickly disposing of it by bashing it on its head, I felt terror well up in me.

_No! I can't be having a panic attack now!_

Mind reeling, I slowly, almost agonizingly slowly, realized that I was being pushed back towards a cliff. Suddenly, the shadow creatures dissolved into darkness, leaving behind a dark cloud that ate at the corners of my vision. A figure, tall and dark and intimidating, chuckled. A hot, dry breeze rolled off of the ground, bringing the stench of decaying bodies and blood with it. Long locks of silver were stirred by the breeze, as a charcoal-skinned hand reached out, touching my armor. A cold, numbing sensation filled my body, freezing me to the spot. The dark-skinned hand suddenly gave me a harsh show, and I was falling, falling over the cliff while staring into blood-red eyes. Red eyes that would be engraved into my memory forever.

I landed in the ocean with a loud splash, forcing the air out of my body. My mouth opened and closed, attempting to breathe, salty seawater replacing much-needed oxygen. I tried to surface, thrashing about, but it only helped to quicken my descent into the dark, murky depths of the ocean. Spots danced before my eyes, and I knew that this would be the last time I ever saw anything, unless by some miracle I survived.

Pathetic.

One of the Guardians of Hamel, the City of Water, drowning.

Pathetic.

Still, there was something that made my mind calm. The stillness, the peace that I felt while slowly drifting downwards, was unmatched by any other I had felt while on land. Down here, there was no such thing as war, or hatred, or death. Just nothingness. Willing myself to relax, a golden glow not too far off drew my attention.

_...Someone else was thrown into the water, too?_

The glow got brighter, and soon, a woman floated into view. Clad in a pure white dress with a brooch shaped like the sun at her throat, the woman was nothing short of beautiful. Enchanting, even. Long, honeyed locks of golden hair the color of sunshine radiated out gracefully behind her, creating a halo of gold. Soft, pale, silvery eyes gazed at my pitiful, dying being. And that's when I noticed. The golden glow, as bright and gentle as a stream of daylight, was coming from this woman. Could this be... Illyria? Why would the goddess of light appear before me? A slender hand reached out, sending the golden glow with it. As her aura brightened, my vision darkened, before I closed my eyes for what I thought was the last time.

Later I would know that I ended up in Leikiki Lake, saved by a strange group of travelers who had seemed to be everywhere in Rurensia - yes, I did say Rurensia, I had miraculously floated that far - at least twice. An idiotic, redheaded swordsman that was more than what met the eye, a talented, purple-haired magician who often had a dreamy-eyed, distant look, a friendly elf that ran away from home but never told anyone outright why she did so, an intimidating, black-haired swordsman who seemed to hate the last member of the group with a passion; a Nasod. Not just any Nasod, no, the _Queen_ of the Nasod. It's fascinating, really, how they can be so incredibly different but can get along so well while living their individual lives.

But to me, I was already dead.

Just a soulless, moving corpse that was hell-bent on revenge.

Revenge on the Prince.

Revenge on the demons.

Revenge on the one with charcoal skin and ruby eyes.

Revenge on life.

* * *

Me: So, this is my official first update after my hiatus everyone~!

Raven: It took you waaay too long.

Me: I was busy!

Eve: Translation: She got distracted while watching anime.

Me: O/O Stop it. Anywho, I need to announce some stuff!

Eve: Translation: She's trying to change the topic.

Rena: Last time, Rosa posted a question for her Q&A contest. Here's today's answer~

A: The Stellar Wave is the ultimate power source which makes everything exist. Basically, it is everything, and is amplified through El crystals.

Chung: Congratulations to our winner, The Cynical Asian!

Me: I kinda gave it to you for the good effort. And now, time to use my 'psychic' powers to see what you will choose! In the future, I foresee a Cheve pairing!

Eve: Translation: She's just guessing based on what's on your profile and/or what you say most often.

Aisha: Let Rosa know if she's right by either leaving your request in the review or by PMing her!

Elsword: Time for reviewer responses!

Me: THAT'S MY LINE!

Elsword: You snooze you lose :P

Me: -.-

Eve: Translation: While everyone is sleeping she will murder Elsword.

Ruby - Aw, thank you for the support! I'll do my best!

Asian - As you said, 'sh*t blowing up' because Eve was alive the day the El crystal blew up during the Festival of Harmony XD *puts desk right-side-up* Lol, you and your blowing stuff up! :O Position in the imperial court?! Even if it's supposedly... *bows down and hands you a cookie* :P Raven may or may not get revenge. And Chung has just appeared. ...Little Cheves...? *flushes* NO! I AM NOT WRITING ANY OF THAT STUFF, ASIAN! KEEP THIS RATED T!

Yami - Me? Perfect? Please. It's quite the opposite, YOU'RE the perfect one here!

luigiofawsome - Your guess was correct, but... Someone put a correct answer before you! Sorry, maybe next time? *does not know what else to say*

.

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^~~~\o/ SHARK ATTACK! (When in doubt, feed 'em to the sharks XD)

Me: Ah, it feels good to be back!

Ara: Just stop running away to other places, then.

Me: DX You're not nice!

Ara: Just doing my job.

Rena: *sweat drops* Anywho... See you all next chapter!

Chung: Don't forget to R&R!

Eve: Translation: Don't be a silent reader.

Aisha: ENOUGH WITH THE TRANSLATIONS!

Me: ^^;; Let's finish this before all of hell is let loose.

Raven: *sipping tea* Agreed.

Me: WHAAAA-? Where'd you get the tea?

Raven: I've been over at Tsu-Chan's.

Me: I see. Ahem. Love y'all! Chu~


End file.
